AMON AMARTH – Surtur Rising (CD, 2011)

Label: Metal Blade Records – 3984-15006-2
Format: CD
Country: Sweden
Released: March 28, 2011
Genre: Metal
Style: Melodic Death Metal

5th studio full-length album. Amon Amarth is one of the most successful death metal bands in the metal industry. They have dominated metal-heads all over the globe with their Viking prowess without changing their image or sound like many bands do these days. If you got into Amon Amarth through With Oden on Our Side and are looking for something in that vein, we´d recommend Surtur Rising as the best album available, since it’s certainly heavier than the other efforts that came in the wake of the band’s breakthrough and satisfies more in the way of guitar content. For those concerned about the redundancy of another similar album from the Swedes, I cannot assuage your fears, though I would recommend a listen to ‘Wrath of the Norsemen’ if you’re looking for motivation to buy this; the transition from creepy lead guitar suspense to all-out riffing on that song is immense. And, thankfully, so is the majority of the album.

Recommended for fans of Manegarm, King Of Asgard, Kalmah, Arch Enemy, Insomnium.